


Picking Up the Pieces

by Politzania



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Bucky Survives the Snap, Canon Divergence - Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Forgiveness, Gen, after the snap
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-03
Updated: 2021-02-03
Packaged: 2021-03-13 09:55:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 916
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29026818
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Politzania/pseuds/Politzania
Summary: 23 days after the Snap, Bucky Barnes stands by as Tony Stark returns from the battle on Titan.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes & Tony Stark
Comments: 11
Kudos: 64
Collections: Winteriron Winter Stockings 2020





	Picking Up the Pieces

**Author's Note:**

  * In response to a prompt by [Pyrone](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pyrone/pseuds/Pyrone) in the [winteriron_winter_stockings_2020](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/winteriron_winter_stockings_2020) collection. 



> **Prompt:**  
>  Short prompts : Forgiveness  
> Long Prompts:  
> 1) What if Bucky survived the Snap instead of Steve and Tony and Bucky built a relationship in that time?  
> Likes: Anything sci fi with Bucky and Tony is magic for me.  
> 

Bucky watched warily as the spaceship slowly descended for a landing. Even though they knew who was in it, thanks to Danvers, he still felt a bone-deep desire to be holding a gun, to be ready for another attack. 

Like everyone else, Bucky hadn’t gotten a good night’s sleep since the Snap; scenes of the battle and the aftermath flashing through his mind every time he closed his eyes. He had wished more than once that he could fall back into cryo and its dreamless more-than-sleep. But there was too much work to be done. 

Doctor Banner and Colonel Rhodes strode out across the lawn as a ramp extended from the rear of the ship. Ms. Potts followed close behind, raising a hand to her lips as they saw two figures exiting, one supported by the other. Stark was in bad shape, starved and clearly injured; but his first concern was discovering who was left. “Where’s Cap?” 

“Gone. Vision and Wilson and T’Challa too.” Rhodes didn’t sugar coat the situation. “What about Strange, and Parker?” 

Stark’s face crumpled. “I lost the kid. The wizard’s gone, too. Said we had a one in a 14 million, six hundred and five chance of succeeding. Needle in a haystack.” He nodded to the blue skinned woman who accompanied him. “This is Nebula. I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for her. She’s a champ at paper football, too.” 

Nebula looked around warily, hand hovering over some sort of gun in a holster at her hip. “You are Stark’s friends? The Avengers?” She made eye contact with Bucky, who was keeping to the shadows; he figured he was the last person Stark would want to see.

“What’s left of us, yes.” Natasha joined the group and rested a careful hand on Stark’s shoulder. “Let’s get you to Helen.” 

In the immediate aftermath of the Snap, what was left of the Avengers and their allies had regrouped at the compound. The rest of the world was torn between blaming them for the worldwide catastrophe and wondering how much worse it might have been without them. In all the confusion, it had been easy enough for Natasha to smuggle Bucky back to the States, even if in all honesty he’d much rather have returned to his goats. 

Especially considering that Thor’s new furry pal with the grabby hands decided he was coming along. “Nothin’ left for me out there,” Rocket had said with a shrug. “Might as well hang out with you guys.” Thor himself had barely spoken more than a few words at a time since the Snap; no matter what any of them tried to say, he clearly blamed himself for the defeat. But there was plenty of that going around. 

Bucky made an effort to slip away as the new arrivals walked back to the compound, but Stark’s eyes were too sharp. “Hold up, Soldier.” Bucky stopped in his tracks and turned around; Stark looked him up and down. “So, who re-armed you?” 

“Princess Shuri, T’challa’s sister. She is -- well, was -- a tech genius. Got the trigger words out of my head, too.” 

“There’s a small blessing.” Stark glanced over to Rhodes. “You good with this, platypus?” 

“We’ve hashed things out, yeah.” The first few days after Bucky’s arrival at the compound had been tense; he’d fully expected either Ms. Potts or Colonel Rhodes to kick him out (or kick his ass). However, Bucky’s willingness to do whatever was asked of him -- as well as Okoye and Natasha speaking on his behalf -- had eventually smoothed things over. “Now, let’s get you inside, Tones.” 

Stark called a meeting the following afternoon; according to Natasha, Doctor Cho had only reluctantly allowed him to do so, insisting that he remain in the wheelchair and take the IV pole with him. He listened intently as Rhodes and Natasha briefed him on what had happened on Earth during the three weeks or so since the Snap. Images of their lost comrades flashed up on Friday’s holoscreens; Bucky had to look away when Sam and Steve’s faces appeared. 

“I saw this coming a few years back,” Stark said when Thanos’ name was finally mentioned. “Thought I was dreaming. Didn’t want to believe it. I suggested a suit of armor around the world, but you all shot that down, after Ultron.” He got to his feet and paced around the table, dragging the IV pole with him. “And yeah, maybe it wouldn’t have stopped that big purple bastard, but it would have bought us time. Time enough for us to assemble and fight together instead of on multiple fronts.”

Bucky saw Rhodes’ eyes flick in his direction, and apparently so did Tony, as he made a dismissive gesture. “It’s not Barnes’ fault. Steve made his bed and now we’re all lying in it.” He snorted derisively, throwing his arms out wide “And lying’s what got us in this whole damn mess, isn’t it? Teammates who didn’t tell us things, like Rogers and Fury...” He stumbled just as he passed in front of Bucky, who shot his arms out almost instinctively to catch him. 

“Nice reflexes, Sarge,” Stark commented as Bucky helped him back to his wheelchair. “Any chance I can take a peek at that arm sometime?” 

Bucky recognized an olive branch when he saw it. “Once you’re feeling better, yeah, sure.” 

“Hey, I called first dibs,” Rocket complained. 

“You can come along too, Build a Bear,” Tony added, “I hear you like to tinker, too.”


End file.
